Fluid filling machine



y 1955 R. L. TROTTER FLUID FILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1952 n L 5% m M w m M T. A T w G h May 15, 1956 R. 1.. TROTTER FLUID FILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 7, 1952 lNVE/VTOR ROBf/PT LAM 901V TROTTER V 6/3 ATTOIQN May 15, 1956 R. L. TROTTER FLUID FILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 7, 1952 I E/V 70/? ROBERT LAM/($0M TQOTfE United States Patent F FLUID FILLENG MACHINE Robert Lawson Trotter, Southall, England, assignor to Unilever Limited, Port Sunlight, England, a British company Application October 7, 1952, Serial No. 313,384

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 9, 1951 12 Claims. (Cl. 226-96) This invention relates to improvements in or relating to fluid-filling machines and in particular to a method of and machines for filling or partly filling containers with a predetermined quantity of liquid.

A number of liquid-filling machines for carrying out the above object are known. It has, forexample, been proposed to have a number of radially spaced distributor outlets situated over the containers and rotating with them, the radial outlets being connected to a central source of supply, which may be fed from a force pump or by gravity from a tank. In machines employing such means,- the quantity of liquid inserted into a container is dependent on the speed of rotation of the filling table and the speed of the force pump or the height of the liquid level in the tank. A variation in any of these factors leads to inaccuracies in the quantity of liquid inserted into the container.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of filling or partly filling containers with fluid, which method comprises the steps of moving a cylinder round a circular path, connecting an aperture in said cylinder with a stationary supply of fluid, raising a piston in said cylinder through a predetermined stroke to cause the entry of a predetermined quantity of fluid, bringing a container into line with said aperture, and lowering the piston to expel the fluid into the container while the container and cylinder are moving together.

The cylinder aperture is preferably closed directly after entry of the fluid and whilst so closed the piston is raised through a small distance in order to reduce pressure inside the cylinder thereby reducing any leakage of the fluid which may occur.

According to the present invention there is also provided a machine for filling or partly filling containers with fluid, said machine comprising container moving means for moving the containers round a circular path, said moving means having a plurality of radially spaced container locators, a stationary port plate having a supply port and a discharge port, a movable cylinder plate the lower face of which is in contact with the upper face of the stationary port plate and makes a substantially fluid-tight seal around and between the ports, said cylinder plate being capable of rotating in synchronism with said container moving means and having a plurality of cylinders each situated above a container locator, the inside of said cylinders being in communication with the lower face of the cylinder plate, each cylinder being provided with a piston, and stroke limiting means for limiting the upward displacement of the piston when situated above the supply port and the downward displacement when situated above the discharge port.

The machine is preferably provided with piston actuating means, and these may incorporate the stroke limiting means. The piston actuating means are preferably arranged to raise each piston through a further small distance after it has passed the supply port.

A preferred embodiment of the machine according to 2,745,584 I Patented Ma ra, 1956 the present invention arranged for partly filling cans with a predetermined quantity of liquid will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional elevation on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 to 6 show cross-sectional elevations of a cyl-- inder, piston, and associated gear, at various stages of: the filling process.

The machine has a table 1 supported on a base 2 by means of channel sections 3. A central spindle 4, to which are keyed a filling platform 5 and a cylinder plate 6, is rotatably mounted in the table 1. The filling plat-- form 5 is connected by means of bolts 7 to a star Wheel 8 so that the filling platform, cylinder plate and star wheel are rotated together by the central spindle 4. The star wheel 8 has 12 equi-spaced locator gaps 9 in its periphery shaped to locate the cans so that rotation of the star wheel moves the cans positively round a circular path, the cans, if necessary, being retained in the gaps by means of a guide rail 10. The filling platform and star wheel constitute the container moving means. The cylinder plate 6 is provided with 12 cylinders 11 equispaced on the same pitch circle diameter as the locators 9 in the star wheel 8. The inside of the cylinders is connected to the lower face of the cylinder plate 6 by means of apertures or throughways 12 in the cylinder plate. The position of the cylinder plate 6 relative to the star wheel 8 is such that each cylinder 11 is situated above and in line with a can locator 9.

The stationary port plate 13 is provided with a supply port 14 and a discharge port 15. The throughways 12 at the lower face of the cylinder plate 6 are smaller than the discharge port 15 in all directions transverse with respect to the direction of flow. The ports 15 as 7 best seen in Fig. l are in the form of slots elongated dong the pitch circle of the cylinders. A gutter 16 (see Fig. 3) is secured to the underside of the stationary port plate to enclose the lower opening of the supply port 14. The gutter 16 is connected to a liquid reservoir 17 by means of pipes 18, 19.

Each cylinder 11 is provided with a piston 20. The piston is fitted with a pin 21 which passes through slots in the upper part of the cylinder. Rollers 22 are mounted on the pin outside the cylinders. These rollers ride on upper and lower cam rails 23, 24, respectively. The rollers and cam rails constitute the piston actuating means. The upper and lower cam rails are secured a distance apart equal to the roller diameter by means of members 25. The lower cam rail 24 is adjustably secured to a supporting ring 26 by means of studs 27.

In order to ensure a clean discharge of liquid from the discharge port 15, and to prevent the liquid running along the lower face of the port plate, the discharge port is provided with a drip check 28. A drainage groove 29 is provided in the port plate 13 to collect any liquid which has seeped between the port plate and the cylinder plate. The liquid is carried away from the groove by means of a drainage pipe 30.

Cans are fed on to the filling platform between stages VI and VII (see Fig. l) by means of a can conveyor 31. Due to the rotation of the star Wheel 8 they become located in one of tie locator gaps 9 and are moved round the filling platform by the star wheel until they are removed, after filling, by the transfer turret 32. The transfer turret 32 comprises a stationary transfer platform 33 and guide rail 34, and a spindle 35 to'which is keyed a star wheel 36. A can retaining plate 37- is provided over the end of the conveyor 31 adjacent to the filling head to prevent the cans from tilting and consequent jamming during transfer from the can conveyor to the filling platform 5. The spindle 4, conveyor pulley spindle 38 and transfer turret spindle 35 are driven through a gear train 39 and chain 40. V

The cam rails are arranged; so that, as a cylinder reaches the beginning of the supply port 14-that is at stagell-the piston commences to move upwards, thereby sucking Liquid into the cylinder, and continues to dov so until just before the cylinder reaches. the end of the supply port that is at stage IV (see Figs. 1 and 3). As the cylinder leaves the supply port, the bottom opening is closed by the upper surface of the stationary port plate 13. In order to reduce leakage of the liquid past the piston or between the port plate 13 and the cylinder plate 6, the lower cam rail 24 is arranged to give the piston a further lift of about /8 in; as the cylinder reaches stage V (see Fig. 4). Due to the fact that, between the ports, the bottom aperture of the cylinder is closed, this displacement of the piston reduces the pressure inside the cylinder thereby reducing leakage of the liquid.

As the cylinder reaches the beginning of the discharge portthat is at stage VllI-the piston commences to move downwards, thereby discharging the liquid into the can situated below the cylinder and rotating with it round the central spindle, and continues to do so until the liquid in the cylinder has been discharged-that is at stage X. The cam rails are arranged so that the piston reaches its lowest position just before the cylinder has reached the end of the discharge port. The position of the piston at stage IX is shown in Fig. 5 and at stages XI, XII and l in Fig. 6. Due to the relative dimensions of the throughways 12 and the discharge port 15, and the fact that the containers are open to the atmosphere, the pressure below the throughways and in the container is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure.

It will be noted that the raising of the piston for the purpose of filling the cylinder takes place in a segment of the port plate which lies wholly within the supply port, so that the amount of liquid filled into the cylinder depends only on the displacement given to the piston as it passes the supply port. This displacement can be adjusted by means of adjusting screws 27 which raise or lower the lower earn rail 24. Similarly, the lowering of the piston for the purpose of inserting liquid into the can takes place in a segment of the port plate which lies wholly within the discharge port so that all the liquid in the cylinder is discharged into the can.

I claim:

1. A method of filling or partly filling containers with V fluid, which method comprises the steps of moving a cylinder round a circular path, connecting an aperture in said cylinder with a stationary supply of fluid, raising a piston in said cylinder through a predetermined stroke to cause the entry of a predetermined quantity of fluid,

disconnecting said aperture from the stationary supply of fluid, bringing a container into line with said aperture, and lowering the piston while maintaining the pressure below the aperture and in the container at substantially atmospheric pressure to expel the fluid into the container through said aperture'while the container and cylinder are moving together.

2. A method of filling or partly filling containers with fluid, which method comprises the steps of moving a cylinder round a circular path,'connecting an aperture in'said cylinder with a stationary supply of fluid, raising a piston in said cylinder through a predetermined stroke to cause the entry of a predetermined quantity of fluid through said aperture, closing the said aperture in the cylinder, raising the piston through a further small distance to reduce pressure inside the cylinder while the aperture is closed, opening the said aperture, bringing a container into line with said aperture, and lowering the piston to expel the fluid through said aperture into the container while the container and cylinder are moving together.

3. A method of filling or partly filling containers with fluid, which method comprises the steps of moving a cylinder round a circular path, connecting an aperture in said a V I r 7 cylinder with a stationary supply of fluid, positively raising a piston in said cylinder through a predetermined stroke to cause the entry of a predetermined quantity of fluid, disconnecting said aperture from the stationary supply of fluid, bringing a container into line with said aperture, and positively lowering the piston while maintaining the pressure below the aperture and in the container at substantially atmospheric pressure to expel the fluid into the container through said aperture while the container andcylinder are moving together.

4. A method of filling or partly filling containers with liquid, which method comprises the steps of moving a cylinder round a circular path, connecting an aperture in said cylinder with a stationary supply of liquid, 'posi-' through said aperture while the container and cylinder are moving together.

5. A machine for. filling or partly filling containers with a, fluid, which machine comprises container moving means for moving the containers round a circular path,

said moving means having a plurality of radially spaced container locators, a stationary port plate having a supply port and a discharge port, a movable cylinder plate the lower face of which is in contact with the upperface of the stationary port plate and makes a substantially fluid-tight seal around'and between the ports, said cylinder plate being capable of rotating in synchronism with saidv container moving means, a plurality of cylinders mounted on said cylinder plate, the inside of the said cylinders being in communication with the lower face of the cylinder plate by means of throughways in said cylinder plate, said throughways being smaller than said discharge port in all directions transverse with respect to the direction of flow, each of the said cylinders being situated above a container locator, a piston for each cylinder, and stroke limiting mean for limiting the upward displacement of the piston when situated above the supply port and the downward displacement when situated above the discharge port.

6. A machine for filling or partly filling, containers with a fluid, which machine comprises containers moving'means for moving the containers round a circular path, said moving, means having a plurality of radially spaced container locators, a tationary portplate havingstantially fluid-tight seal around and between the ports, 7

said cylinder plate being capable of rotating in synchronism with said container moving means, a plurality of cylinders mounted on said cylinder plate, the inside of the-said cylinders being in communication with the lower face of'the cylinder plate by means of throughways in said cylinder plate, said throughways being smaller than'said discharge port in all directions transverse with respect to the direction of flow, each of the said cylinders being situated above a container locator, a piston for each cylinder, and piston actuating means for raising the piston through a predetermined stroke when situated above the supply port and for lowering the piston through the said stroke when situated, above the discharge port, whereby the pressurebelow said throughways and in the discharge port aremaintained. at substantially lower pressures than in said cylinders during discharge.

7. A machine as-claimediin claim 6, in which the piston. actuating rneans comprise rollers fitted to the pistons and stationary cam rails for actuating the said rollers.

8, machine; as claimedin claim 7, inwhich thecam rails are adjustable for the purpose of varying the stroke of the pistons.

9. A machine for filling or partly filling containers with a liquid, which machine comprises container moving means for moving the containers round a circular path. said moving means having a plurality of radially spaced container locate-rs, a stationary port plate having a supply port and a discharge port, a movable cylinder plate the lower face of which is in contact with the upper face of the stationary port plate and makes a substantially fluid-tight seal around and between the ports, said cylinder plate being capable of rotating in synchronism with said container moving means, a plurality of cylinders mounted on said cylinder plate, the inside of the said cylinders being in communication with the lower face of the cylinder plate, each of the said cylinders being situated above a ccrainer locator, a piston for each cylinder, and piston actuating means for raising the piston through a predetermined stroke when situated above the supply port and for raising the piston through a further small distance after it has passed the supply port and for lowering the piston through the said stroke when situated above the discharge port.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9, in which the piston actuating means comprise rollers fitted to the pistons and stationary cam rails for actuating the said rollers.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10, in which the cam rails are adjustable for the purpose of varying the stroke of the pistons.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 9 in which the inside of each cylinder is in communication with the lower face of the cylinder plate by means of a throughway which is smaller than said discharge port in all directions transverse with respect to the direction of flow, whereby liquid pressures below the apertures and adjacent the the surfaces of the discharge port are substantially reduced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,176 Holmes May 22, 1900 1,490,923 Hansen Apr. 22, 1924 1,572,149 Kiefer Feb. 9, 1926 

